Jeff Almeyda
Senior Consultant
Neil started it all for me. As a kid, I remember learing "La Villa" and torturing myself with it.
Yes, there are more advanced drummers out there (Plenty of them)
But this fact remains: Most of the music that features incredible drumming does NOT appeal to today's youth or even to a sizable portion of the listening public. Compared to music like Rush or Tool NOBODY listens to Vital Information or Planet X and forget about the swing stuff.
Danny Carey made a similar comment in a recent MD article. He was VERY blunt and he said something like" Yeah great monkey drummers but the music SUCKS"
Virgil blows Neil (and pretty much all others) away but let's listen to 2 hrs of Virgil's or Weckl's music and see if it moves an audience (of not just drummers) like 2 hrs of Rush.
Yes, popularity is a limited gauge of talent but it's patently obvcious that the man has struck a chord that has resounded with his listening public for over 30 years.
If all of these others guys are SOOO much better, why are they limited to doing clinic tours in music stores? Isn't music about communicating with people? And if what you are saying is so amazing then everyone will at least want to hear it , no?
Maybe they surpass Neil in the "drumming" department but if you take a broader look at it, Neil has achieved a much more worthy goal. He has managed to communicate a part of himself (through lyrics and music) to the world not just blown a few drummers away with his blazing chops.
Please don't give me the: "There are a hundred better guys than Neil who never made it." story either because Neil did not rely on anything other than talent to get where he is today. He's not some sex symbol or anything like that, he made it on his music alone.
I think you Neil bashers are just incredibly jealous. I'm not saying you have to like him but this "I hate him" stuff is just the green-eyed monster rearing its ugly head..
Yes, there are more advanced drummers out there (Plenty of them)
But this fact remains: Most of the music that features incredible drumming does NOT appeal to today's youth or even to a sizable portion of the listening public. Compared to music like Rush or Tool NOBODY listens to Vital Information or Planet X and forget about the swing stuff.
Danny Carey made a similar comment in a recent MD article. He was VERY blunt and he said something like" Yeah great monkey drummers but the music SUCKS"
Virgil blows Neil (and pretty much all others) away but let's listen to 2 hrs of Virgil's or Weckl's music and see if it moves an audience (of not just drummers) like 2 hrs of Rush.
Yes, popularity is a limited gauge of talent but it's patently obvcious that the man has struck a chord that has resounded with his listening public for over 30 years.
If all of these others guys are SOOO much better, why are they limited to doing clinic tours in music stores? Isn't music about communicating with people? And if what you are saying is so amazing then everyone will at least want to hear it , no?
Maybe they surpass Neil in the "drumming" department but if you take a broader look at it, Neil has achieved a much more worthy goal. He has managed to communicate a part of himself (through lyrics and music) to the world not just blown a few drummers away with his blazing chops.
Please don't give me the: "There are a hundred better guys than Neil who never made it." story either because Neil did not rely on anything other than talent to get where he is today. He's not some sex symbol or anything like that, he made it on his music alone.
I think you Neil bashers are just incredibly jealous. I'm not saying you have to like him but this "I hate him" stuff is just the green-eyed monster rearing its ugly head..